My New Dream
by Whytegriffin
Summary: Through Rapunzel's eyes, though not told in her voice, this is an account of the very best part of the movie.


My new dream lay dead in my arms. Peaceful, beautiful - but gone just the same. What had happened? How could she have let this happen?

Everything had been so swift, so sudden. She knew that she had seen it somewhere before, that Corona's sun was almost eerily familiar...and she had remembered it all of her life, spreading it around her, trying to remind herself of who she was even if she didn't realize it! The lost princess - perhaps rather the stolen princess? She had seen all day children and their families, their mothers and their fathers. Her mother had never treated her so gently, never looked at her with pride or joy in her eyes or such a smile on her face as she had seen the mothers there. It was so different - so very different. She had to be. Of course she had foolishly fallen into the dresser, thinking it had been closer to her than it had been. Mother was calling - and coming up the stairs. No. Not my mother. That woman - Gothel, she had once said her name was.  
"Are you alright?" Did she really care? As long as Rapunzel's hair was intact...of course that was all the woman wanted. That was all she had ever wanted, had ever loved, had ever shown affection for. No kisses on the forehead or the cheek like the village children. It had always been her hair, and she had never realized until now, only her hair that Gothel loved and caressed. Since she'd never seen anyone else before it hadn't seemed odd, but now Rapunzel knew. She found herself stumbling to the drapes before Gothel could come in. She couldn't let her see all of the evidence! If she knew...  
"I'm the lost princess." She gasped quietly, grasping the drapes for support. That was not at all what she had meant to say. She had just been meaning to poke her head out so Gothel wouldn't worry about - well, everything seeing the sun in her murals, never thinking that the woman would still not notice.  
"Ugh. Rapunzel, you know how I hate the mumbling!"  
"I am the lost princess. Aren't I?" She asked, anger rising in her voice. Gothel looked shocked, for more than one reason. "Did I mumble, mother? Or should I even call you that?" Gothel gasped, a little unnerved. It had taken her longer than normal to regain her composure as she walked to the top of the stairs.  
"Rapunzel! Do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous questi-"  
"It was you!" Rapunzel shouted, pushing the woman away. "It was all you!"  
"Everything I did was to protect you." She said, suddenly aloof. Rapunzel's face screwed up in anger, pushing her aside and heading down the stairs, Gothel calling after her the whole time.  
"I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power - when I should have been hiding from you." She pronounced the last word pointedly, turning her face up to Gothel.  
"Where will you go?" She sneered back at Rapunzel. "He won't be there for you!"  
"What did you do to him?" She demanded, perhaps the slightest trace of fear was in her voice.  
"That criminal," Gothel sneered in triumph, "is to be hanged for his crimes." The defiance fell from Rapunzel's face into shock and pain. Eugene?  
"No." She gasped, her eyes staring down into nothing. Eugene gone... Mother had told her - Gothel had taken him away from her. For her hair. All for her hair.  
"Now, now. Listen to me." Using that condescending tone again. Like she was a child. She was a child - still in so many ways, but she was a woman too. Gothel had never admitted to her once that she was a woman, unless she was mocking her. Gothel didn't want that. Ever. "All of this is as it should be." Gothel crooned, lowering her hand to pat Rapunzel's hair again. The girl's hand jumped up and caught her wrist before she could touch it.  
"No!" Gothel grunted in surprise as she met resistance from Rapunzel for the first time ever. She tried to pull her hand away, but Rapunzel wasn't going to let go until she'd had her say. "You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about me! And I will never let you use my hair again!" Gothel pulled back hard as Rapunzel let her hand go, sending her back into the long mirror and sending it crashing to the floor, shattering to count the days Rapunzel had stayed locked in the tower alone. With a final look of defiance, Rapunzel turned on Gothel, walking unheedingly over the mirror shards to the window where she'd spent her life dreaming. She was leaving. Pascal had to be somewhere. He would follow. She wasn't going to listen to Gothel ever again, for as long as she lived. She heard only a murmur from her, but ignored it. What could she do to stop her, anyway? She suddenly felt a sharp pain as something cracked against the back of her head and the tower turned black.  
She awoke suddenly, hearing the last words of her healing incantation and seeing her hair stop glowing as the pain left her head. But there was something wrong. When she moved her hands to try and push herself to her feet, metal clanked and iron bands kept her hands from moving apart. Gothel was standing before her, smiling down cruelly; mocking her.  
"Does your head feel better, dear? Aren't you glad that I used your hair again?" She sneered, sliding Rapunzel's frying pan onto the table. "I had always hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but, as you can see, dear, I'm always well prepared." Rapunzel groaned and fell back against the wall, tears pouring out of her eyes. Why hadn't she waited? Was Eugene dead by now, hanging lifeless from a rope? If she had only waited until mother had left for the day - but perhaps she wasn't going to do that so soon. Mother almost never cooked - why was she calling that woman mother? That wasn't who she really was. No loving mother would treat her child like a useful object and nothing more! "No more visitors for you, not with that thief dead." Rapunzel sobbed and Gothel sneered again, leaning down to see her eyes. "Maybe if you're a good, loving daughter now, dear, I'll let you keep your chameleon instead of cooking him. And if you are especially good, I may go into town after the hanging and buy his boots for you, since you want him so badly."  
"No!" Rapunzel sobbed. Hiding her face in her hair. How could the woman be so cruel? Her mother was happy now, certain that no one could find her if Eugene was dead. Why couldn't she leave her alone now instead of badgering her? Eugene was dead. So what if she was the lost princess? No one would ever know. No one else would ever know where to look. The lanterns, the symbol of all their hopes would mean nothing, because she would probably never be allowed to see them again. Her hopes and dreams were gone.  
Suddenly the air changed around her. Gothel stiffened as a strange sound came into the canyon. Pounding hooves. She grabbed the nearest piece of fabric and tied it as tightly as she could around Rapunzel's mouth before she realized what was happening. She heard the jingling of the harnesses as a rider leapt down. Gothel ignored her, loosening and removing a tile from the floor. A secret stair. Of course there was one. Why hadn't she ever thought to search for one before?  
"Rapunzel?" She gasped, her hair fell away from her face, her eyes went wide. Eugene. "Rapunzel, let down your hair!"  
"Now I'll have to clean up another one of your messes, Rapunzel." She snarled with her face in Rapunzel's for a moment. "Don't worry, I've had a goodly amount of practice. One quick jab is all it takes, and Flynn Rider is gone quickly from the picture. Of course he'll writhe in pain a while. That's half the point of it." She smiled, walking away as she spoke, gathering Rapunzel's long hair into her arms and tossing it out the window. She anchored it with her foot as it went taught from his weight. Gothel smoothed the blade of her knife against her cheek, making Rapunzel pale with fear as her heart dropped to her feet. No. No! Eugene, please. Please watch out! She saw her hair go slack as he reached the top and grabbed the window sill.  
"Rapunzel! I thought I'd never see you again!" He gasped, a little breathless after his climb. No, not at me! Look behind you! She thought desperately.  
"Mmm!" Rapunzel gasped. "Look out!" She tried to scream at him through the gag, fighting against the chains that held her fast. He looked completely confused, completely shocked that she was chained to the wall. Why didn't he look behind him?! She couldn't tell if he even saw Gothel rise out of the shadow to plunge the blade deep into his body, up into his chest, all the way up to the hilt as his blood trickled down over her knife. He didn't even have breath to cry out - or perhaps he didn't want to cry out, to let her see his pain. He only groaned a little as she twisted the knife and then ripped it out triumphantly, finally letting him crumble to the floor. Rapunzel screamed his name in vain against the gag. He fell on his side, cringing and groaning, gasping for breath. Gothel smiled coldly, wiping her knife clean on his shirt. Rapunzel yanked against her chains, trying desperately to get to him. He was trying collect himself, pull it all together. He was still trying to help her.  
"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel!" Gothel sneered. Waving her knife over Eugene. "Oh don't worry, dear," she said with her lips darting up in a horrible smile as she stepped over him. To her he was merely so much garbage; just as well to be done with it. "Our secret will die with him."  
"Eugene! Eugene!" She called out, muffled by the gag, the sounds confused by the clanking of the chains that she strained against.  
"And as for us - hmph!" She continued, unlocking the chains and pulling Rapunzel like an animal to the hole in the floor. "We're going where no one will ever find you again!" Her commands turned into less dignified grunts as she and Rapunzel pulled in opposite directions, Rapunzel trying desperately for Eugene as Gothel kept working her the other way. Brave little Pascal rushed forward, biting the hem of her dress and pulling with all his might before Gothel kicked him into the wall. Eugene was looking at her, trying to push himself forward. he could hardly move! oh Eugene, you can't help me! Eugene, its too much for you, she hurt you too badly! Eugene! Oh please. Please stop putting yourself through so much pain! Gothel yanked again, her words getting more pronounced and loud. It was like she was scolding her! "Rapunzel, really! Enough already. Stop - fighting me!"  
"No!" Rapunzel cried, dropping down to the floor and shaking the gag from her mouth. "I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life I will fight." She was angry now, and pain pierced her heart at the sight of Eugene pushing himself onto his stomach and making bare headway toward her. Even if he was able to help he could never get to her in time. "I will never stop trying to get away from you!" She gasped. "But - if you let me save him? I will go with you." Suddenly the look on Gothel's face changed. She was considering it. Thank God, she was considering it! Behind her she heard Eugene moan.  
"No. No, Rapunzel!" He begged her. It hurt her to do it, but she ignored him.  
"I'll never fight. I'll never try to get away. Just let me heal him, and you and I will be together - forever! Just like you want! Everything will be the way it was. I promise. Just like you want. Just. Let me. Heal him." Gothel's eyes narrowed as she studied Rapunzel, trying to decide how truthful the girl was. Would she lie? No, Rapunzel never lied. Despite growing up with nothing but lies, she had never done the same. She never broke a promise - and she had made a promise. Gothel could stick her to it. After what seemed forever to Rapunzel and Eugene she finally moved, pulling Rapunzel back away from the trap door, facing her into the wall. She leaned down, unshackling her hands and whispered into her ear.  
"I'm no fool, Rapunzel. Your thief will be chained and secure before you go to him. If you try anything until I walk away, I'll bleed him dry in front of you. You will watch every minute of his agonizing death and we will never leave this tower. Is that understood, dear?" Rapunzel swallowed hard with tears coursing over her cheeks. She nodded silently. Gothel gathered the chains in her arms and looked around the room for a few minutes before deciding on chaining him to the bannister. She didn't see Rapunzel's hand slip down and pocket the key that she had forgotten. Rapunzel bent her head down and shook her hair until she could see Gothel behind her, wrapping the chains carefully and methodically around the bannister, muttering to herself the while. She turned around, satisfied and surveyed Eugene with her hands on her hips. This was certainly not the first time she had moved the entire bulk of a man by the look on her face, but Rapunzel realized that all of the others must have been dead, or not far from it. Looking at Eugene as the crimson pooled under and around him, she wondered how far from death he was himself. Gothel drove the pointed toe of her boot into his wound, and Rapunzel bit her lip when she heard his sharp groan and saw him go limp for a few seconds while Gothel smiled and started dragging him over. Eugene gasped suddenly and groaned again, his teeth showing hard clenched behind his lips that didn't close even though he was trying desperately to keep the screams behind them. Rapunzel bit her lips together. She couldn't let Gothel do anything worse to him. She couldn't watch him die and live out the rest of her life in the same room. He was trying to push himself along. Oh Eugene! She jerked him around so he was on his back and pushed him up against the bannister, immediately grabbing the manacles and locking them cruelly on his wrist. Rapunzel could barely see his face, but his eyes were closed tightly and his eyebrows furrowed deep down his face. He was in so much pain, and Gothel was enjoying every minute of it. She yanked his arm forward, trying to aggravate the stab wound. It worked; he barely suppressed a groan again, and just the same he gave her his attention when she snarled at him.  
"In case you get any ideas about following us." Then she dropped his hand down as hard as she could, purposefully jarring his injured side. His hands clutched uselessly over the gouge in his side - Gothel was far enough away and Rapunzel couldn't wait any longer.  
"Eu - Eugene!" She gasped desperately, rushing to his side. He was coughing blood, his eyes closed tight in pain as he tried to push himself up to sit against the bannister. Rapunzel felt useless, touching his face, trying in vain to look into his eyes as she brushed his hair back with her hand. He cried out suddenly when he moved wrong, sliding back down to where he had been before and groaning in a defeated pain. Rapunzel grasped his hand gently, pulling it away just enough to see where the blood was seeping onto his shirt, not enough to see the wound beneath because even that caused him to gasp with the sudden pain and cough blood all over again as punishment for the sudden breath.  
"Oh!" Rapunzel gasped, pushing her hair back with her hand. "I'm so sorry." She reached behind her where her familiar hair was waiting to save him and snatched a handful, bringing it to his chest. "Everything is gonna be okay, though -"  
"No, Rapunzel!" Eugene moaned, pushing her hands away.  
"- I promise. You have to trust me!"  
"No!" He insisted, still shaking his head, finally able to make his body obey to look at her.  
"Come on! Just breath -"  
"I can't let you do this!" He gasped, pushing her hands back again. Rapunzel stopped for a moment, finally able to see his eyes gazing pleadingly into hers but she slid her hair over the seeping wound.  
"And I can't let you die!" She almost whispered back to him. He gasped in pain again, trying to focus on her. She held his face with one hand, shushing him as he spoke.  
"But if you do this ... than you ... will die." He gasped, almost like he could see the life that he knew was hers already leaving her eyes.  
"Hey!" She said insistently, calling his attention, trying to draw a point. "It's gonna be alright." She whispered. Eugene sighed, seeming to lose himself in her eyes as he gave up, a pained smile crossing his face. Yes. Yes, he was allowing her to save him. She repositioned her sopping, bloody hair over his wound and closed her eyes, opening her mouth to sing when she heard him speak again.  
"Rapunzel." She opened her eyes, realizing suddenly that this could be the last time that she saw him. The manacles clanked as he lifted his hand to her face. "Wait." He gasped with the rest of that breath rattling out in a sigh. Rapunzel leaned down gently, feeling him move her hair aside, pushing it to the back of her neck. A kiss. That was what he had called it. He had been going to kiss her last night. He really had. She leaned forward just a little more, closing her eyes, her hand still softly on his cheek. She thought for a second that she felt his left arm come up beside her, a bit of a chill on the back of her neck and suddenly she was startled by a sharp tug on her hair, the singing of crystal glass - the complete and sudden loss of her weighty gift. Her eyes flashed open as he cut the last strand, his body falling back heavily, the mirror shard clattering to the floor as it fell from his hand. Rapunzel gasped in horror, reaching to her head for a way to save him, but he had been thorough. And all that was left was brown stubble in comparison to her life long gold.  
"Eugene, what -" she gasped. No! What had he done?! She grabbed the end of her hair from his lap, watching as her natural brown shot through, taking over, revealing who she was. She couldn't save him anymore! She couldn't save him! Her heart was bursting in a horrified scream, but she could only stare. There was nothing she could do.  
"No!" Gothel bellowed behind her when she saw what Eugene had done. "No. No." She muttered, frantically gathering the golden locks in her arms, gold that turned to brown even as she did so. Beside Rapunzel, Eugene lurched forward suddenly, doubling over and falling on his side. She barely saw him, watching in horror as the woman she had known as her mother aged rapidly before her eyes, screaming at Eugene. "What have you done? What have you done!? No!" Rapunzel's heart wrenched in fear as Gothel rushed to the other side of the room where she had left her knife. But instead she stopped in front if the shattered mirror, screaming another horrified 'no!' as she pulled her hood over her face, writhing and howling; twisting around the room toward the window. Pascal stood up, grabbing a pile of Rapunzel's discarded hair in his angry, toothless mouth. He pulled it tight, tipping the wretched woman over the windowsill and sent her screaming, plummeting to the earth. Even at that, Rapunzel felt her arms reach out to save her before she could fall, but she was too far away.  
She gasped, trying to realize everything in an instant. Gothel was gone, dust. Her mother. Not her mother, but the only one she ever knew. The woman had been cruel and degrading to her all her life, had wounded the only other person she'd had the opportunity to love. Eugene. Eugene! Rapunzel turned to see him half curled up on his side, motionless. Almost motionless, she realized. She bent down, reaching around his shoulder, tucking her right hand under his head and rolled him onto her lap.  
"No, no, no, no, no! Eugene!" She called, turning his face up to hers. He coughed - weakly, and for only a moment there was the tiny glimmer of hope that he was alive. Her heart dropped to her feet when he coughed a few more times, his head sliding down weakly in her grasp. Her hand trailed down his face. "No." She gasped. "Look at me! Look at me, I'm right here!" She said, almost crying, stroking his cheek, combing his hair back, holding him closer. She leaned down, desperately grabbing his bloody hand. "Don't go! Stay with me, Eugene. Stay with me!" No hair. She pulled it up to her head, leaning down, making it touch her hair. Maybe - maybe there was the slightest, tiniest bit left? Enough to save him? Enough at least to stop the bleeding or partly mend the wound?  
"Flower gleam and glow - " she started singing breathlessly.  
"Rapunzel." Eugene moaned.  
"Let your power shine - " she glanced up into her hair, looking, hoping so desperately for the tiniest glow. Her heart wrenched in despair. There was nothing! She had to try. She had to keep trying. His hand slipped a little further down her head.  
"Hey!" He moaned, a little softer now. He was going. No. No! She didn't want to stop, she ignored him. Maybe a little more. Maybe just the tiniest bit more. She was crying by now.  
"Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine..." Rapunzel felt only a slight tug as he pulled her face to see his, his fingers stroked her hair - her brown hair - just so sweetly and gently.  
"Rapunzel!" She heard a last, great effort. She let his hand slide down a little but held it even harder now.  
"What?" She sobbed. It was useless. She was useless. How could anything -  
"You were my new dream." He said, the strength of his breath only making a whisper. A soft, beautiful whisper. Rapunzel sobbed again, clasping his hand tighter still. She - she wasn't useless. Not to him. He was the only one that mattered.  
"And you were mine." She cried back at him. Smile. She had to smile into those beautiful, fading eyes. Somehow she did. Because for the next moment he was still hers. She was his. She loved him. And Eugene? Eugene loved her to the death. Any pain in her heart was worth that slight smile that lit his face when he heard her say that. She leaned closer to him as another word verged on his lips, but at that moment his life-breath slipped away from him. His head sank just a little, turning away from her when he couldn't hold it anymore. His bright, child's heart failed him. Rapunzel was alone. Pascal was somewhere behind her, but at the moment she didn't even remember his existence. The only person whom she had known to love her for something other than her hair had loved her ultimately. She let his hand slide down, laying it gently beside him and turning his face back up to her. Why? Why had he had the strength to die for her?  
"Heal what has been hurt." She sighed her song. It did no good. It could do nothing; but somehow, she needed to finish it. It was like singing a lullaby to her sleeping love. It was like telling him her sad farewells. "Change the Fate's design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine." She sang, laying her head on his as torrents of every emotion rushed to her head. "What once was mine." She whispered the last line, unable any longer to sing it. She tried to take in a steady breath that turned instead into a sob as the pain and loss wrenched her heart. She held him tight and wept over him, her tears falling unchecked over his face. Eugene, why? Why did you have to leave? Why did you have to love me? You could be alive now! I wouldn't be with you, but it wouldn't matter. I would know that somewhere you were alive. I'll love you until the day I die, Eugene Fitzherbert. I like that so much better than hard, cold Flynn Rider. The touch of his hand, his bright, bright smile. Mother was gone, she couldn't hurt anyone anymore. Eugene was gone. He was gone.  
Rapunzel thought she heard a slight noise like - like shining silver. That didn't make any sense. She opened her eyes, seeing Eugene still the same, but there was something else. She saw it out of the corner of her eye. Brilliant, brilliant shimmering gold - her hair. She looked down at the floor. No, her dead brown hair was still coiled uselessly on the floor. She sat up, her eyes widening as coils of golden light spiraled up from the open wound on Eugene's body. She watched as the light shot up, swirling around them, playing through her hair, darting to the ceiling. Finally the light spread wide over him, like a flower opening it's petals wide to the sun before folding them again, taking the golden spirals with it, fading back to where they came from. Rapunzel touched Eugene's vest where there was still a knife hole, but the blood everywhere was gone. Nothing on the floor, on his vest, on her sleeves - nothing. She pushed her hair back from her face, not really noticing that it fell right back where it was as she gazed into Eugene's face. Her heart leapt out of her chest as she saw him draw a breath. He gasped, his eyes opening slightly and he saw her.  
"Rapunzel?" She gasped seeing him, a smile brightening her face.  
"Eugene?" He sighed, arching his eyebrows in a tired expression before he smiled in his very Eugene Fitzherbert way.  
"Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for Brunettes?" He asked. Rapunzel gasped again, laughing. He was alive. Eugene was alive again!  
"Eugene!" She exclaimed, jumping forward and tackling him in an embrace. She wrapped her arms tight around him. She wouldn't let go. She was never letting go ever again. At first he fell back a bit from the sudden impact, but then his arm wrapped around her and he pushed himself, and therefore both of them, up from the floor. She could feel him breath, the rise and fall of his chest against hers, his breath against her neck as he pressed his face into her shoulder. She would never let him go again, and she had the feeling that he was thinking just the same thing. She pulled away from him to look at his face, his bright eyes smiling at her. Emotions rushed on her from everywhere. She had never felt such a relief, such joy as she did now! Eugene! She grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss, just like she drew on the sidewalk the day before at the kingdom celebration. Eugene had explained it to her, and she had kissed her mother before, but of course not ever anything the same as this. That wouldn't have been right. He made a muffled, confused noise when she did so; but she didn't see his face since her eyes were closed. She must have been doing it right, though, because his head turned gently to fit his mouth better to hers and his hand came up to hold her head. It was a little awkward and strange and wet - but somehow she just didn't mind. She felt Pascal patter up her arm and switch to Eugene's. He was death-glaring the former thief, clearly demanding that he stop this behavior at once. They pulled away from each other, Pascal smiling toothlessly at Eugene, happy to see him alive. He sighed, letting go of Rapunzel a little bit and turning to Pascal.  
"Hey Pascal. Mind getting me the key?" He asked, jangling the manacle on his right wrist. Pascal scowled at him and Rapunzel laughed and then smiled sheepishly. She pulled the key out of her pocket.  
"You didn't think I'd be dumb enough to leave you chained to a post to die, did you?" She smiled, taking his hand in her lap. His fingers were rough. Well, rougher than hers were. She held his hand a long time before she put the key in the lock and the cold iron fell away like her hair had just fallen away. She reached forward without warning to embrace him again, holding him safe in her arms. His arms wrapped around her, rocking back and forth a little. It must be the strangest thing in the world to have died and come back. Had he seen God? Surely not, if he wanted to come back to be with her. How far had he gone? Judgement? Even that? It had seemed so very long that he was dead, it had been a horrible, wrenching eternity and just remembering it made her cry a little more. Going by how his breath was trembling, he was crying too. She didn't want to move, but a sudden cold bump on her shoulder followed by Eugene lurching back trying not to scream in disgust pulled them out of it.  
"Pascal!" Rapunzel admonished. The lizard merely stuck his nose up, patterned to the window and pointed out the window with his tail, making little grunty noises. Rapunzel smiled and stood, off balance for a minute without the presence of her hair. She was the lost princess. She had to leave the tower. Leave the tower? Forever? She had to go to her real home. In Corona. Oh dear, home would take some time getting used to! And she had a real mother - and father - and she was a woman now, a grown woman. She knew that as Eugene looked in her eyes.  
"Princess?" He asked. Rapunzel startled a little. Princess? Where? She had thought there was no one else in the tower whe- No. She was the princess. He held his hand out to her and she smiled. Eugene was there. Everything would be alright. Eugene's face lit in a soft smile. "I seem to remember promising to take you home."


End file.
